This invention relates to connector assemblies for IC chip carriers and, more particularly, to such an assembly which is particularly adapted to use for burn-in and/or testing of IC chips held in a TAB film carrier.
An integrated circuit chip is commonly mounted on a film, or tape, with its input/output pads connected to contact pads on the surface of the tape by a tape automated bonding (TAB) method. When the chip is assembled as part of a larger electronic system, connections are then made to the contact pads on the surface of the tape. However, prior to the chip being shipped by the manufacturer or installed as part of a system, it is typically subjected to burn-in and/or testing. Such burn-in and/or testing involves making a temporary, or separable, connection between the chip and a printed circuit board which forms part of the burn-in/testing apparatus. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly for separably connecting a tape mounted IC chip to a printed circuit board.
For handling purposes during burn-in/testing, it is conventional to hold the tape containing the IC chip in a rigid carrier. It is therefore a further object of this invention to provide a connector assembly of the type described above which accepts the carrier while making connections to the contact pads on the tape.
For an IC chip mounted on a tape, there may be on the order of 300 or more contact pads to which connections must be made. Each of these connections requires a certain minimal contact force. Therefore, for 300 or more connections, the total contact force required may be on the order of 85 or more pounds. It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a connector assembly of the type described above which allows appropriate contact forces to be generated without requiring undo exertion on the part of an operator.